Stuffed pleated upholstery



March 23, 1937. A. s. MITCHELL 2,074,653

STUFFED PLEATED UPHOLSTERY Original Filed April 1'7, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1937. A. s. MITCHELL STUFFED PLEATED UPHOLSTERY Original Filed April 17, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 23, 1937. A. s. MITCHELL 2,074,663

STUFFED PLEATED UPHOLSTERY Original Filed April 17, 1935 5 Sheen-Sheet s ali ,. rear National Automotive lFibres, Ina, Mich, a corporation of melavvare Detroit,

Original application April l'l, i935, Serial No.

16,868. Divided and this application February 28, 1936, Serial No. 66,296

4 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to stuffed pleated upholstery, such as automobile cushions,

trim-panel covers, or the like.

The present application constitutes a division 0g igiy application Ser. No. 16,868, filed April 17,

The primary object of the invention is to provide a cushion or the like provided between pleats with improved seams forming very secure connections between the fabrics and providing welts visible at the finish-side of the cushion.

The improved cushions, or trim-panel covers, as the case may be, may be economically manu factured in a series in the manner and by means of the apparatus described in the above-mentioned application.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a broken perspective view illustrating the manner iii which pre-cut cover-fabrics may be formed to provide depressed pleat-portions and intervening seamportions; Fig. 2, a broken perspective view illustrating how the pre-cut covers may be brought into relation with acontinuous lining-fabric and the seam-portions of the two fabrics brought into nested relation and then sewed, cotton batts being introduced into the pleats between the fabrics prior to the sewing operation; Fig. 3, a broken sectional view illustrating the manner in which the seam-portions of the fabrics are brought into complete nested relation; Fig. 4, a broken sectional view showing the relation of the seam-portions of the two fabrics before they are brought into nested relation; Fig. 5, a broken sectional view illustrating the manner in which the seams are sewed; Fig. 6, a broken perspective view showing a series of covers connected by a continuous lining-fabric, the upholstery being shown right side up, whereas the lining is uppermost at the time of sewing; Fig. 7, a top perspective view of a cushion embodying the invention, the view showing the seam-welts which are exposed to view at the upper side of the cushion; and Fig. 8, a broken plan view of a modification of the upholstery.

For convenience, in the description, the product will be referred to as a cushion. It is to be the trim-panels may correspond in design with the upholstery of the seats, the difierence being that thicker and heavier batts are employed in forming the covers when they are to be applied to seat-cushion purposes.

In the drawings, A designates a continuous lining-fabric; B, pro-cut cover-fabrics and C, batts introduced into the pleats during the manufacture of the upholstery by means of a multipleater sewing-machine of the character described in the above-mentioned Mitchell application Ser. No. 16,868.

In the preferred method of manufacturing the improved cushion, pre-cut covers are fed forwardly over a bed provided with ridge-bars which form relatively large upstanding seam-portions I, as indicated in Fig. 1; and as the covers move forwardly to the position where the sewing mechanisms'are located, the box-like seams l are depressed centrally to form a welt-portion I and leave upstanding fabric-ridges l In a gang sewing-machine of the character referred to above, the fabrics and batts pass beneath a forming-roll; where the seam-portions of the lining-fabric are brought into complete nested relation with the seam-portions of the pre-cut covers. In Fig. 3, D represents a forming-roll comprising a shaft D' and a series of collars D (one shown).

The continuous lining A is fed from a suitab source (not shown) and passes beneath the forming-roll D. On its way to the forming roll, the lining-fabric has formed therein, by any suitable means, a seam-portion 2 of the general form illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, this seam-portion comprising a central depending ridge 2 and a pair ofupstanding ridges 2 Also, the cotton batts C are fed into the pleats as they are formed, the fabrics and the interposed batts passing then beneath the forming-roll.

As shown in Fig. 3, the collar D is provided with a central peripheral groove 3, which is adapted to accommodate the nested seam-portions of the fabrics. The collar D is equipped with a comparatively thin disk 4 which completes the nesting of the seam-ridges of the two fabrics, as shown in Fig. 3. It may be stated that the seam-portions of the pre-cut cover are shaped over longitudinally extending ridge-bars, each bar having different forms of cross-section at different points, to enable the seam-portion of the fabric to be shaped as desired. In Fig. 3, 5 designates such a ridge-bar having in its upper portion a groove 5* within which the final nesting of the seam-portions of the two fabrics is effected. After the seam-ridges have been completely nested as shown in Fig. 3, they pass forwardly and the sewing of the seams is accomplished as shown in Fig. 5. In this figure, 8 designates a seam-embracing foot of a sewingmachine head and l designates a curved sewingneedle carried by an actuating arm 1*, the sewing-needle being adapted to thrust the sewingthread through the nested seam-portions of the fabrics. Ordinarily, each sewing-mechanism is provided with a looper which supplies a looperthread. This feature is not shown in Fig. 5, however.

As the nested seam-portions of the fabrics are fed forwardly past the sewing-mechanisms, the seam-portions are sewed together, as by stitchings 8 (see Fig. 2).-

When the series of cushions emerge from the multi-pleater sewing-machine, the continuous lining-fabric A is uppermost. Subsequently, the upholstery is turned over and the lining is severed between the cushions.

A detached cushion is shown in perspective in Fig. 7, from which it will be noted that the welts I of the cover-fabric will be seen'projecting upwardly from the seam between pleats. This produces an exceedingly pleasing appearance at the finish-surface of the cushion. The improved seam is extremely secure, owing to the fact that the seam-portions of the two fabrics are essentially of M-shape when they are brought into nested relation. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the crowns of the box-like U-ridges I are depressed centrally to form reentrant angles, thus producing the welt-portions indicated at i'.

Referring to Fig. 4, it is possible, of course, to omit the ridge 2" of the lining A, thus modifying the seam-portion of the lining A that it would simply embrace the M-seam of the cover-fabric, in which case the stitches would pass through four piles of the cover and only two plies of the lining,

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 8, the covers of the upholstery are designated B; and the lining-fabric is replaced by fabric-tapes A of suillcient width to be suitably crimpedlongitudinally to form seam-portions which become nested with the seam-portions of the covers, after which the seam-portions of the fabrics are sewed together in the manner already'described. In this modification, the covers emerge from the machine in a series, connected by tapes, which can be out between the covers. Such covers may be applied to. panel-plates'in any desired manner. The seams, or lines of stitching, of the panel-covers may thus be made to correspond in a general way with the seams of the cushions used in the automobile.

By the method described, a cushion provided with ornamental seams of strong and enduring character may be produced in a highly economical manner.

As has been indicated, the improved product may be used both for covering the seat-cushions of automobiles and the trim-panels of automobiles,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Upholstery comprising fabrics having a seam-portion comprising nested U-form seamridges with the crown portions depressed to form a re-entrant angle, and a line of stitches uniting the fabrics at said seam-portion, the stitches passing through four thicknesses of one fabric and at least two thicknesses of the other fabric.

2. Upholstery comprising a finish-fabric and a lining-fabric united by a seam presenting two welts at one side of the upholstery and a single welt disposed centrally of the seam at the other side of the upholstery,

3. A cushion comprising a cover-fabric and a lining-fabric having connecting seams and intervening pleats, the seam comprising nested M shape folds of the fabrics and transverse stitches therethrough; and batts in said pleats.

4. Upholstery comprising: a plurality of coverfabrics and a continuous lining-fabric having connecting seams and intervening pleats, the seams comprising nested M-shape folds of the fabrics and transverse stitches therethrough; and batts in said pleats.

ALLIS'I'ER S. MITCHELL. 

